Define plagiarism. What constitutes plagiarism? How can researchers actively avoid plagiarism?

What will be an ideal response?

Plagiarism: presenting as one’s own, the ideas or words of another person or persons for academic evaluation without proper acknowledgment. The next step toward combating the problem and temptation of plagiarism is to keep focused on the goal of social research methods: investigating the social world. If researchers are motivated by a desire to learn about social relations, to understand how people understand society, and to discover why conflicts arise and how they can be prevented, they will be as concerned with the integrity of their research methods as are those, like yourself, who read and use the results of their research. Throughout Investigating the Social World, you have been learning how to use research processes and practices that yield valid findings and trustworthy conclusions. Failing to report honestly and openly on the methods used or sources consulted derails progress toward that goal.